Concluding reminders on our avowed enemy — the Devil — his schemes, his goals, and the divine wisdom behind his existence. A summary of essential warnings for the believer.
Closing Reminders
Reminder 1
The Devil Manipulates Naïveté
The Believer's Vulnerability
Iblīs swore to Adam and Ḥawwāʾ by Allah, ultimately deceiving them. Adam, out of his profound reverence for Allah, could not conceive that anyone would swear by Him falsely — and this very piety became the opening Iblīs exploited.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The believer is naïve and generous, while the immoral one is deceitful and vile."
Scholarly Insights
Qatādah noted: "If someone haggles to deceive us in Allah's name, we are tricked." Al-Suyūṭī confirmed that Adam ate from the tree out of forgetfulness, believing no one could swear by Allah falsely.
Najm al-Dīn al-Ghazzī concluded: "The devil was the first to swear a false oath. Whoever swears falsely to deceive or harm is most like the devil."
Al-Biqāʿī warned that a habitual oath-taker is most likely a liar — for he only swears when he believes his listener will not accept him otherwise.
Key Scholarly Voices
What the Scholars Said About Deception
Al-Shinqīṭī (d. 1393 AH)
Adam's error arose solely from Iblīs's deception. His deep reverence for Allah led him to believe no one could swear by Him falsely — causing him to forget the prohibition regarding the tree.
Al-Biqāʿī (d. 885 AH)
The Quranic verb form indicates mutual haggling and persistent attempts by Iblīs. He emphasized his oath with multiple forms of confirmation, knowing Adam and Ḥawwāʾ were naturally averse to disobedience.
Naftawayh's Verse
"Indeed, the kind person, if you wish, you can deceive him — while you see the vile one, who is experienced, cannot be deceived." The believer's good-heartedness is an exploitable vulnerability.
Reminder 2
The Satanic Scheme to Unclothe Mankind
Muḥammad al-Amīn al-Shinqīṭī explains that exposing humanity's private parts and stripping their clothing has always been among the greatest and most primary objectives of Iblīs — a scheme rooted in his deep enmity toward Adam, Ḥawwāʾ, and all their descendants.
The First Humiliation
Exposing nakedness was the very first dishonor Iblīs inflicted upon Adam and Ḥawwāʾ, as Allah states: {Shayṭān whispered to them to expose what was hidden from them of their private parts.}
Coupled with Expulsion
Allah paired the stripping of clothing with expulsion from Paradise in His warning: {O children of Adam, let not Shayṭān tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing.}
His Ongoing Goal
Dishonoring human dignity through exposure of private parts delights Shayṭān and satisfies his enmity. Exposure also serves a second goal: inciting immorality and indecency.
From Jāhiliyyah to Modernity
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Shayṭān persuaded the Arabs of Jāhiliyyah to perform ṭawāf around the Kaʿbah completely naked — dishonoring them in Allah's most sacred sanctuary. Women recited: "Today, some of it or all of it will be revealed… But whatever is revealed, I do not consider violable."
This continued until Allah dispelled it through revelation, and the Prophet ﷺ announced: "No polytheist shall perform ḥajj after this year, nor shall anyone circumambulate the House naked."
The Modern Renewal
As faith weakened and people turned from divine guidance, Shayṭān renewed his campaign — this time cloaked in slogans of progress, civilization, modernity, and sophistication.
Al-Shinqīṭī warns that Shayṭān has now turned his sights on Muslim women — succeeding in exposing much of their bodies in universities, gatherings, and streets. If the trend continues unchallenged, it will escalate further.
We ask Allah to grant victory to His religion and empower Muslims to safeguard their daughters following the divine light revealed to the Prophet ﷺ.
Reminder 3
Why the Devil & His Army Exist
Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) explains Allah's extraordinary wisdom in testing mankind with Iblīs and his legions: "In this matter, there are many profound wisdoms that only Allah knows the full details of." He enumerates fourteen wisdoms — a testament to the depth of divine design.
Wisdoms 1–4: Trial, Fear & Distinction
1
Completing the Ranks of the Righteous
Struggling against Iblīs perfects the worship of Allah's prophets and allies — through opposing him, seeking Allah's protection, and earning worldly and otherworldly benefits unavailable otherwise.
2
Deepening Fear of Allah
Witnessing Iblīs's fall from angelic rank to utter disgrace intensified the fear and submission of the angels — just as servants of a king fear more deeply when they witness one of their own severely punished.
3
A Lesson in Two Paths
Iblīs is a lesson for those who persist in sin. Adam is a lesson for those who sin, repent, and return to their Lord. Both fathers of jinn-kind and mankind serve as eternal examples.
4
A Touchstone for Humanity
Iblīs distinguishes the pure from the impure — as the Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah created Adam from a handful taken from all the earth… among them are the pure and the impure, the gentle and the harsh."
Wisdoms 5–9: Power, Opposites & Signs
Manifesting Divine Power
Creating Jibrīl and Iblīs — angels and devils — displays the perfection of Allah's power. He is the Creator of opposites: heavens and earth, light and darkness, Paradise and Hell.
Opposites Reveal Beauty
An opposite only reveals its excellence through contrast. Without ugliness, the virtue of beauty is not apparent. Without poverty, the value of wealth is not recognized.
Deeper Gratitude
Allah's allies attained levels of gratitude through trials with Iblīs that they could not have achieved otherwise. Adam's gratitude after repentance far surpassed his gratitude in Paradise before the trial.
The Pinnacle of Servitude
Love, reliance, patience, and contentment are the most beloved forms of worship to Allah — realized only through striving. The creation of Iblīs sustains this highest form of servitude.
Manifesting Divine Signs
Those who oppose Allah's messengers cause His greatest signs to appear — the Flood, the staff of Mūsā, the splitting of the sea, Ibrāhīm in the fire. Their existence is more beneficial to Allah's allies than their absence.
Wisdoms 10–14: Names, Sovereignty & Praise
Fire & Earth
The fiery essence contains both burning and illumination. The earthly essence contains both purity and impurity. Allah brought forth all variations — a sign that {there is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.}
Divine Names Require Objects
Names like Al-Khāfiḍ (The Abaser), Al-Muʿizz (The Honourer), Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger) necessitate corresponding realities in creation through which their rulings manifest.
Complete Sovereignty
The perfection of Allah's dominion requires absolute range in governance — reward and punishment, honoring and humiliating, justice and grace. Both types of subjects must exist.
Perfect Praise
Allah is praiseworthy for His justice, withholding, and vengeance — just as He is praised for His grace and generosity. His angels, messengers, and all creation on the Day of Judgment will praise Him for both.
Wisdom 15: The Forbearance of Allah
"No one is more patient in enduring what he hears than Allah. They ascribe to Him a son, yet He continues to provide for them and grant them well-being." — The Prophet ﷺ (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Divine Forbearance in Action
Allah loves to manifest His forbearance, patience, vast mercy, and generosity. This necessitated the creation of those who associate partners with Him and oppose His decree — yet He continues to provide for them, answer their supplications, remove their afflictions, and invite them to His Paradise.
The Ultimate Mercy
Despite insult and denial, Allah accepts the repentance of the one who returns to Him, replaces his sins with good deeds, treats him gently in all affairs, and even sends His messengers to him — commanding them to speak kindly and treat him with mercy.
As the Ṣaḥīḥ records: "The son of Adam insults Me… yet I continue to provide for him and grant him well-being."
Summary: Our Avowed Enemy
Guard Against Deception
The believer's naïveté and good-heartedness is a vulnerability. Beware of those who swear by Allah to deceive — the devil was the first to do so.
Protect Human Dignity
Exposing private parts and stripping clothing is Iblīs's oldest and most primary weapon against humanity. Modesty is a divine command and a shield against his scheme.
Understand the Divine Wisdom
The existence of Iblīs and his army serves profound purposes — perfecting worship, deepening gratitude, distinguishing the pure from the impure, and manifesting Allah's complete sovereignty and praise.
Return to Divine Guidance
Every time humanity turned away from heavenly guidance, Shayṭān seized the opportunity. The only protection is adherence to the divine light revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
We ask Allah to grant victory to His religion, elevate His word, and guide Muslims to the path of truth — empowering them to safeguard their families from all that compromises honor and virtue, following the divine light revealed to the best of His creation ﷺ.